My Lucky Charm

The year of the Black Water Dragon arrived last 23rd of January. The whole Chinese community was very busy decorating their areas and ensuring that their traditions are still being followed to a T. The Philippines, being a country that has Chinese as the biggest minority group, was not spared with all the happenings. What better way to show it than declaring that day as a special non-working holiday. The malls are ablaze with red lanterns and whenever you turn your head you will surely see someone wearing red. The Chinese not only believed that the color red signifies luck for the coming year, they also say that red drives away bad vibes and evil spirits. My kid was really excited when he saw this huge tree inside SM City Fairview with hanging Ang Paos. He thought that anyone who was at the mall is given the chance to pick one from the tree and take with it whatever was inside. I explained to him that it was just for display and pictorial purposes. When he heard it, he gamely posed in front of the huge tree and ask me to take his picture.

huge tree full of Ang Pao

Japanese not Chinese!

praying for a sibling, eh?

my very own Buddha, my lucky charm

He also asked us to pose for the camera as well.

Feng Shui experts say that this is an auspicious year, since a dragon is synonymous to prosperity.  I claim that this year is going to be filled with more blessings not just for my family but for the entire country,not because I was boen in the year of the dragon but because I believe that every year is God’s year.

Remembering Delilah

Our pit bull, Delilah, died about two weeks ago. She had been with the family for almost three years now. She was already a big dog when she was given to us by a family friend. I was actually hesitant especially since she is a pit bull. Pit bulls have been ill-known for their temper and their jaws that lock when they bit. You could perhaps see the scare in me especially since we are not the one that raised this dog. But that changed when I saw her. She was unlike other pit-bull that looked like they came from hell. Yes, she was muscular and she was bigger than other dogs. What really got me are her eyes. She has these puppy-eyes that you cannot resist. And she was really intelligent and well trained. She knows every member of the family, even those that rarely visits us. She can catch a ball and bring it back to you. And she easily stops barking with just a hiss from anyone of us. My kid loves her so much that he was the one that bathes her whenever possible. We were all sad when we woke up and saw her dead. We’ve been thinking what could have caused her death. She was just too playful when we arrived as always. We suspect, it could be old age, since she was already nine years old. Dogs are said to have a life span of eight to ten years depending on lifestyle. When she died, she was buried by Hubby and the kid even made sure that her tomb is marked. Now, the kid is asking me to get another dog. Should I give in? I guess I better do a lot of research first.

Pre Pregnancy Tips

As I have mentioned here, we are working on having another baby. This means frequent trips to the OB-Gyne. It is good that I have a cousin-in-law who is a professional on this field. I actually find it hard to open up things about sexuality on a person I know nothing about. On my last visit to her, she shared me some tips on how to improve the likelihood of being pregnant again. Since I have been diagnosed with PCOS, I was prescribed medicines to address the hormonal imbalance that is causing my menstrual dysfunction. I’d like to share some of her tips here.

1. Prior to being pregnant, a hopeful mom should ensure that she eats a healthy diet. It should have a good amount of protein and less in carbohydrates, especially for someone with PCOS because it is also said as a pre-Diabetic condition. I was told to ensure lots of fresh fruits and vegetables. And being the non-milk drinker that I am, I was sworn to drink at least a glass each day or take in calcium supplements.
2. I am also advised to monitor my body weight. I was shown how to compute my body mass index (BMI). She said that judging from my BMI, I am still in good shape.
3. We were also told to time our intercourse. She said most couple made the mistake of doing the deed everyday because they think it would give them the most awaited double lines. The truth is, doing it every other day throughout the month is better and ensuring that there is a contact on the week of the women’s fertility increase the chance of pregnancy.

There are still a lot of tips that we were told but I guess the above mentioned are the most important ones. To date, I am now three days delayed. I took a pregnancy test yesterday but it was a big fat negative. We are not losing hope though. If it’s not gonna be this month, there are still more months to come. God will surely deliver our baby in His time.

Mommy Moments: An Indian Boy

My kid's school recently celebrated their foundation day. As always the school held a lot of activities for the kids to participate. The kid, together with his classmates, participated in the Annual Field Demonstration where each class presents a dance number choreographed by their advisers. Their teacher picked the song from the movie Pocahontas and aptly designed an American Indian costumes for the kids. Even if I am a working mom, I never failed to attend activities in the kid's school, most especially if he will be one of the performers. I know that it boosts his morale and makes him put his best foot forward. And yes, it was a great opportunity to document his school life. I have attach some photos of the kids with his friends.

My kid is already in fourth grade and I have seen how he was able to connect well with another kid in school. He has his own set of friends now and yes, he told me he has a best friend. He introduced me to his best friend way back on his third grade. They have been classmates since first grade. And looking at them in these pictures, I can see their similarities. I even kidded that they look like brothers. And yes, you are guessing it right! Both of them loves to eat. This is my first Mommy Moment entry for the year. Happy Chinese New Year to all the other MM participants.

Hoping for a Second Child

A few years back we have decided that we wanted an addition to our little family. We were hoping that it would not take us too long as we got pregnant just after six months of being married. After a few months of actively trying without any positive results, we decided to go to an Obstetrician. I was then told that I was part of the 10% of the women population who is suffering from Polycystic Ovarian Syndrom (PCOS). The doctor said that I was lucky that I was able to conceive without any aids from fertility drugs. She told us that it is a condition that is the culprit to most infertility problem in women. She said my hormones are out of balance and that I need to drink different kinds of medications to balance them out. True enough after years of not using any contraceptives, we still are three. Except for that joyful daythat I had almost 3 years ago, we never saw two lines in a pregnancy test again. But the happiness lasted for just a few days, we lost the baby.

I am about to turn 36 in a few months time and though I find it too old for conceiving and giving birth, I find it rightful to give it another try for this year. Much for my son, than for us, because I am seeing how sad his situation is (and will be in the future)as an only child. So we then decided to again go seek medical help. I am now taking in medications which we hope could eventually give us that much awaited two lines. Hubby on the other hand is also requested to undergo some series of laboratory tests. And yes, we are praying really hard for another baby to come our way.

Back to Normal

The fifth of January is mostly back to normal schedule for most of the moms. Our kids are now back to school and we are either left to tend to household chores or are back to work as well. My household is not yet through with the holiday buzz. This day is the 37th wedding anniversary of my mom and dad. If Mama was alive, the house could be filled with visitors once again. But since Mama is no longer around, a simple prayer will do. We will just light a candle for her and ask her to still guide us through this new year. The kitchen is still going to be bursting with the aroma of good food. I plan to cook something special for the family dinner. I will also bake something since tomorrow is my uncle's 63rd birthday and I promise to deliver some desserts for the party. Perhaps some cupcakes would be good especially if they will be frosted. Soon, I will have plenty of time for blogging as this year marks my return to being a work-at-home mom.